Knitting machine



Original Filed April 2, 1952 1 'VENTOR. SEANLEY R. SHElLMlRE r 660 649 fiww, 1 a KL ATTORNEYS United States Patent KNITTING MACHINE Original application April 2, 1952, Serial No. 280,050. Divided and this application October 5, 1954, Serial No. 460,328

6 Claims. (Cl. 66-140) This invention relates to knitting machines and has particular reference to clamping and cutting rneans operable during reciprocatory knitting phases of the machine.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 280,050, filed April 2, 1952.

The application just referred to describes a knitting machine for the formation of solid color patterned areas joined by interlocking loops, as exemplified by diamonds in the leg portions of hosiery. Said machine provides four feeds for pattern formation, a single feed being used for each color area and, these feeds being avail-able, there being possible two-feed knitting of heels, toes, ring toes and l-oopers rounds, and four-feed knitting of the foot portions of stockings (and ring toes, if desired) thereby effecting rapid production. Multiple feed knitting of a top may also be accomplished.

In connection with the patterning for the formation of diamonds, or the like, provision is made to avoid the possible production of stitches which may later result in holes Where yarn changes occur during patterning. This end is achieved by knitting outgoing and ingoing yarns together in one or more loops during a single stroke of the needle cylinder. In conjunction with this there is provided at each feed a yarn clamping and cutting mechanism which, in particular, provides for withdrawal of yarn ends during reciprocatory knitting in both directions.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved clamping and cutting means particularly suitable for use in the type of machine just referred to. The broad object and other objects relating to details of construction and operation will become apparent from the following description, read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure l is a vertical section showing, in particular, yarn feeding fingers and their controlling means;

Figure 2 is a vertical section through a trickwheel for control of feeding fingers and a clamping and cutting mechanism;

Figure 3 is an elevation looking radially inwardly at a yarn clamp and cutter assembly;

Figure 4 is a perspective view looking at the right-hand side of the clamp and cutter assembly; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view looking at the left-hand side of the clamp and cutter assembly.

The matter claimed herein is the clamp and cutter arrangement of the machine of said prior application, and the description will accordingly, be directed primarily thereto, certain associated elements of the machine, particularly the yarn feeding arrangement, being described,

- while reference may be made to said prior parent application for other details of the machine in whichthe clamp and cutter assembly is particularly useful.

As-indicated in Figure l, the machine comprises latch needles 2 mounted in a rotarycylinder 4 which is controlled for both rotary and reciprooatory movements. Yarns are fed at four feeds of which one is particularly illustrated in Figure 1.

From take-up sweeps and guiding eyes which need not be described in detail herein, each yarn passes through the feeding hole 514 of a yarn feeding finger. Each of these yarn feeding fingers comprises an end portion 516 which is pivoted at 518 to a lever 520 mounted upon a transverse pin 522. The purpose of the end 516 is to provide proper location of the yarn feed in the throat of the latch ring 34 during reciprocatory knitting. As reciprocation in one direction takes place, the portion 516 of the yarn feeding finger may move in the direction of run of the yarn while during reverse reciprocation it may move in the opposite direction and, in either case, will occupy a definite and proper position irrespective of the particular yarn finger which is active. There are at each feed four yarn fingers with the exception of one feed where there are three yarn fingers handling inelastic yarn and there is one finger handling a rubber yarn. While the yarn fingers are thus made free to move irrespective of their positions to proper location, the yarn fingers when inactive may be closely arranged side by side and, for this purpose, each of the ends 516 is provided with an extension 524 provided with a wedge-shaped end so that as the yarn finger rises to inactive position the movable end 516 having a wedge-shaped lower edge will be properly located in the assembly. The yarn fingersare urged in a downward direction by individual springs 526 and are provided with upward extensions 52$ adjacent to the pivot pin 522, while extensions 523 are arranged to engage the lower ends of sweep levers.

The yarn feed levers 520 have projections 530 engageable by levers 532 of which there is one for each yarn lever. Each of the levers 532 is provided with a follower portion 533 engageable by butts '536 on elements 538 mounted in slots in a trickwheel 540. Secured to the trickwheel is a ratchet 542 arranged to be advanced step by step by a pawl 544 pivoted at 546 to an arm 547 and urged by a spring 548 into engagement with the ratchet. The arm 547 is urged clockwise as viewed in Figure l by a spring 559. Movements are imparted to the lever 547 through mechanism described in said parent application but which need not be described herein, being unrelated to the subject=matter claimed.

An elastic covered rubber yarn is fed through guiding means and a tensionin-g arrangement which is not illustrated to the feeding hole 598 in a lever 600 similar to the levers 520 but without a pivoted outer end. The lever 680 is mounted on the pin 522 and provided with a portion 602 engaging a lever 604 mounted on pin 534 and provided with a follower portion 605 engageable by butts 6% carried by the elements 533 mounted in the trickwheel S40.

lournalled on a shaft 616 for free movement about the same is a lever 624 (Figure 3) which has a follower portion engageable by butts in the locations 626 of the elements 538 mounted in trickwheel 540. The inner end of lever 624 is adapted to operate a yarn clamping and cutting device.

Referring now particularly to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the lever 624 engagesthe lower end of an adjustable screw 626 carried by a lever 628 pivoted at 630 to a frame assembly supported by a central post 629, there being a clamping and cutting assembly associated with each of the feeds and located counterclockwise with respect to its feed. A spring 632 normally urges the lever 628 downwardly. The lever 628 is connected by a link 634 to a yarn trapping lever 636 pivoted at 640 and provided with a nose portion 642 which, in particular, is adapted to engage and guide a yarn. A curved edge portion 638 of the trapping lever also servesto guide a yarn. A clamping member 644 is provided with an upturned outervend and is mounted on a pin 645, being pressed downwardly bya :spring 648 against a base member 646. .This base rnember isprovided with a downwardly bevelled outer edge as indicated at 647 to provide with the upwardly extending portion of member 644 a mouth for the reception of a yarn. For the better clamping of the yarns the cooperating surfaces of members 644 and 646 are desirably provided with interengaging flutes as indicated at 649 in Figure 3.

Secured to the member 646 is a fixed cutting blade 650. A movable cutting blade cooperating therewith is provided at 652 and is pivoted at 656 being urged into cutting relationship with the fixed blade by a leaf spring 658. A slot 654 in the movable blade receives the pin 653 carried by the link 634 so that as the link is depressed the movable blade overlaps the fixed blade to cut the yarn. In order to insure better clamping action than is provided by spring 648, the link 634 is provided with an extension 635 which presses against the member 644- when clamping is' to occur. To provide further controls for the yarns, wire guides 660 and 662 are provided as illustrated in the figures.

The clamping and cutting actions may now be described. When a yarn is out of action, its end is held between clamps 644 and the base 646 by the action of spring 648. For better clamping action the clamp and base have the matching longitudinal flutes 649 and the extension 635 on the lower end of link 634 rests on the clamp as previously described.

The yarn extends from the clamp to the yarn finger, and when it is lowered into action, the yarn is laid over the guide wire 660. After the needles have seized the yarn and knit it, it is carried in a counterclockwise direction and slides on the guide wire 660 beneath the same to a point where the guide enters the base 646 and as the needles continue to move the yarn passes under the edge 647 drawing the free end of the yarn approximately at a right angle to the clamp which is desirable to prevent other inactive yarns from being swept out of the clamp.

When a yarn is taken out of action, its finger is raised as is the lever 628 and link 634 which, due to the linkage, swings trapper 636 upwards and opens shear blade 652. In this case, the yarn extending from the needles to the finger is carried also in a counterclockwise direction but, since its finger is raised, it is guided into the clamp by surface 638 of trapper 636 and passes over the bevel 647 between shear blades 652 and 650. The abutment 662 prevents the yarn from being drawn back into the V of the shears so that scraping off of excessive lint may be avoided.

When lever 628 is released spring 632 through link 634 causes trapper 636 to swing inward and hook edge 642 engages the yarn which is above the end of guide 660 and moves it safely back into the clamp. Due to the arrangement of the linkage, the trapper 636 swings inwardly before the pin 653 and link 634, due to lost motion provided by slot 654, causes shear blade 652 to cut the yarn. At the end of the operation, the extension 635 of link 634 will be again resting on clamp 644 to hold the yarns securely in the clamp.

Not only are the yarns removed from the clamp during counterclockwise or forward reciprocations or rotations of the needle cylinder, but under certain circumstances, as described in said parent application, yarns at two of the feeds are first taken during a reverse stroke in clockwise direction. The yarns are pulled out of their respective clamps and cutters in such reverse stroke, and this is possible with the clamping mechanism herein described, the actual movement of withdrawal of the yarn taking place toward the left as viewed in Figure from beneath the element 644 whether the withdrawal occurs during a counterclockwise or clockwise stroke.

What is claimed is:

1. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder, yarn feeding means, means for producing relative reciprocatory movements between said cylinder and said yarn feeding means,

said yarn feeding means comprising a group of yarn fingers associated at acommon feed, means for selectively moving said yarn fingers into and out of action, and yarn clamping means located within the needle circle and associated with said group of yarn fingers, said clamping means comprising a pair of clamping elements, resilient means providing clamping pressure between said elements, and additional means for augmenting said clamping pressure.

2. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder, yarn feeding means, means for producing relative reciprocatory movements between said cylinder and said yarn feeding means, said yarn feeding means comprising a group of yarn fingers associated at a. common feed, means for selectively moving said yarn fingers into and out of action, and yarn clamping means located within the needle circle and associated with said group of yarn fingers, said clamping means comprising a pair of clamping elements, resilient means providing clamping pressure between said elements, additional means for augmenting said clamping pressure, and means for engaging an outgoing yarn to move it between said clamping elements.

3. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder, yarn feeding means, means for producing relative reciprocatory movements between said cylinder and said yarn feeding means, said yarn feeding means comprising a group of yarn fingers associated at a common feed, means for selectively moving said yarn finers into and out of action, and yarn clamping means located within the needle circle and associated with said group of yarn fingers, said clamping means comprising a pair of clamping elements, resilient means providing clamping pressure between said elements, additional means for augmenting said clamping pressure, and means for cutting a yarn While it is held by said augmented clamping pressure.

4-. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder, yarn feeding means, means for producing relative reciprocatory movements between said cylinder and said yarn feeding means, said yarn feeding means comprising a group of yarn fingers associated at a common feed, means for selective ly moving said yarn fingers into and out of action, and yarn clamping means located within the needle circle and associated with said group of yarn fingers, said clamping means comprising a pair of clamping elements, means for cutting a yarn, movable means for engaging a yarn when its yarn finger is in inactive position to move it towards the axis of the needle cylinder and between said clamping elements, and means for successively effecting yarn engaging movement of said engaging means and cutting action of said cutting means, the last mentioned means comprising a pin and slot connection with the cutting means to effect delayed action of the latter.

5. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder, yarn feeding means, means for producing relative reciprocatory movements between said cylinder and said yarn feeding means, said yarn feeding means comprising a group of yarn fingers associated at a common feed, means for selectively moving said yarn fingers into and out of action, and yarn clamping means located within the needle circle and associated with said group of yarn fingers, said clamping means comprising a pair of clamping elements, means for cutting a yarn, movable means for engaging a yarn when its yarn finger is in inactive position to move it towards the axis of the needle cylinder and between said clamping elements, and a common means for successively eifecting yarn engaging movement of said engaging means and cutting action of said cutting means, the last mentioned means comprising a pin and slot connection with the cutting means to effect delayed action of the latter.

6. A circular knitting machine comprising a needle cylinder, needles carried by said cylinder, yarn feeding means, means for producing relative reciprocatory movements between said cylinder and said yarn feeding means, said yarn feeding means comprising a group of yarn fingers associated at a common feed, means for selec tively moving said yarn fingers into and out of action, and yarn clamping means located within the needle circle and associated with said group of yarn fingers, said clamping means comprising a pair of clamping elements, means for cutting a yarn, movable means for engaging a yarn when its yarn finger is in inactive position to move it between said clamping elements, and a common means for successively effecting yarn engaging movement of said engaging means and cutting action of said cutting means, the last mentioned means comprising a pin and slot connection with the cutting means to effect delayed action of the latter.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,161,324 Thomas June 6, 1939 

